Doug Schoen: ?Democrat??

12/20/11 12:55 PM EST

No one drives President Obama’s supporters and progressives more nuts than Doug Schoen, the one-time Bill Clinton adviser, Obama hater and FOX News’ resident “Democratic pollster” — a title which confers an inside-the-tent cred critics says is phony.

His latest broadside: a POLITICO op-ed with partner Pat Caddell, asking New Hampshire voters to write-in Hillary Rodham Clinton as the Democratic nominee. (“We advocate this Draft Hillary movement not because of the desire to make political mischief — but to put the country on the right course. It’s clear that Obama has been unable to build consensus and, with the polarizing campaign he is now running,” etc.).

This is weak tea compared to his other anti-Obama pronouncements. A couple of years ago he went on the Glenn Beck show to declare Obama’s attempt to bring the Olympics to Chicago “gangster politics” and “the biggest outrage ever done.” He called on Obama to quit right after the 2010 midterms; He and Caddell called on the Democrats to embrace the tea party agenda while praising Sarah Palin; He’s attended the conservative “Monday Meeting” in New York; and, recently took a job as a paid adviser to Americans Elect, a non-partisan group with millions in undisclosed funding that will, ostensibly, endorse candidates of all parties.

Considering all this, is it truth in advertising for Schoen to call himself a Democrat?

Here’s his response in an email:

“[I] have always considered myself a Democrat and certainly still do. Advised President Clinton for six years in the White House. Have advised Democrats continually for over 30 years. Have a few non-Democratic clients like Mayor Mike Bloomberg. No Republican clients.

Pieces I have written recently with Pat Caddell are a full throated endorsement of a Democrat being elected President in 2012--albeit a different Democrat than currently occupies the office. And I have tried to argue compellingly that we need centrist Democratic policies in the executive branch and in Congress.

That being said, I have also advised Americans Elect as they attempt to bring more choice into the electoral process. Both to promote generally more centrist policies and to open up a political system which is currently increasingly dominated by the two ideological extremes.

I believe supporting AE--which after all is a coalition of like minded Democrats, Republicans, and Independents--is consistent with the ideas I believe are most important and the values and goals I have sought to advance throughout my career.

Strongly believe I can be a good Democrat without supporting what passes for orthodox Democratic policies and positions today.”

“Schoen is the quintessential “Fox News Democrat.” He loosely identifies himself as a Dem, but as someone who’s actively hostile towards Dems and the party’s agenda, Schoen is really only popular as a personality in GOP media. Fox News gets to tout its “balance” by inviting him on the air — Republicans who hate Democrats are joined by Democrats who hate Democrats.”